Ice Cold
by D-chan
Summary: HieadClay :: AU, OOC, language, shounen ai :: sidefic to Payback :: Clay wants to go out on a proper date, so he surprises his boyfriend by taking him out for...


**:: Ice Cold ::**

by _D-chan_

Megami Kouhosei

Sidefic to _Payback_

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Hiead/Clay

Warnings: AU, OOC, language, shounen ai

Disclaimer: I down own Hiead, Clay or anyone else in Megami Kouhosei. I hardly even own the original characters I briefly mention; credit for name ideas goes to L.J. Smith, author of the _Night World_ series.

Notes: I'd like to thank Kitz-chan for the idea of this strange sidefic. She was talking about how ice cream was becoming a more popular thing lately and this weird idea popped into my head. It's another sidefic, but twice as long as _Omoshiroi_ and _Physical Education_, let me tell you. And Kat-chan's given me _another_ idea for a sidefic, maybe their second date or something and they cause _more_ of an uproar than usual...

I've been working on this more than _Wahnsinn_ for the past couple of days, so I apologize for any delays it might have (Clay's chapter was giving me trouble anyway... And now I have 2 AU Hiead/Clay plot bunnies scampering around! Gah!).

All that aside, enjoy and please review and give me your honest opinion!

Winter was _always_ bitter cold, and Hiead could never figure out _why._ Weather here went against all laws of physics and whatnot since every season was exactly the way it should be. It was always cold and wet during spring, steaming hot in the summer -- so hot one would have to sleep naked, -- chilly and multicoloured in the fall and freezing cold in winter. With snow. _Lots_ of snow.

That afternoon Hiead was driving home with his boyfriend, Clay Cliff Fortran. No one really understood _why_ they had been going out since early spring; Hiead was unpopular and cruel while Clay was also unpopular but classified as a nerd. Hiead was deadly silent like his counterpart was thoughtfully silent. Even their _looks_ differed; Hiead possessing beautiful windswept silvery hair and piercing blood-red eyes and Clay supporting gently rumpled blonde-brown hair, caramel-coloured eyes and wide-framed glasses.

A soft sigh caused him to glance sideways, though only briefly since he had to keep an eye on the road. He'd just gotten his driver's license and was _not_ keen on losing it just yet. "What is it?"

Clay didn't look at him; he continued to stare out the window of the passenger seat. When he breathed a small puff of steam would appear on the window, something Hiead _would_ have liked to watch since it somehow gave him... Ideas... But he intently kept his eyes fastened on the road. They'd be at his house, soon. Or rather, his adopted parent's house. He wasn't on his own quite yet.

"We're going to your place again, aren't we?"

A tiny, disapproving frown graced Hiead's lips. A couple weeks ago that would have made Clay shrink back but he was developing a backbone now. Hiead wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Perhaps both; good that Clay wasn't such a wuss around him anymore but bad because he seemed to think that gave him the right to steal all his cigarettes and hide them from him.

"Is something wrong with that? We go there every day," Hiead reminded him, his voice dark and smooth as cocoa.

"That's just it. We go there every day." Clay turned around, shifting slightly and loosening his seatbelt for comfort. "We never do anything else but go to your room and--"

"What else would you _want_ to do?" his boyfriend interrupted, sounding slightly annoyed. "It's not like we have a wide range of choices, Clay. _You_ were the one that didn't want people to know about _us._ _I_ didn't and still don't have a problem with it."

Uncomfortable silence followed and Hiead knew he'd hit a nerve. "I... Don't mind so much anymore," Clay mumbled.

The crimson-eyed boy realized this. After all, _Clay_ had been the one to blurt out in front of their entire Phys. Ed. class that he wanted Hiead to quit smoking because he hated the aftertaste when they kissed. That, actually, had been very amusing. They'd nearly been suspended that day because their argument had ended with Hiead pinning the scrawny boy to the floor and starting a make-out session. Over half the class has been in chaos; people were screaming, a few were laughing and that Roose Sawamura had blushed, he remembered.

Hiead slowed to a stop on the sidewalk just outside his house and turned to look at Clay, a small smirk lighting his insanely beautiful features. Sometimes it unnerved Clay to look at him. No _guy_ should be that gorgeous.

"Fine, then. Where do you want to go?"

Clay shivered slightly and opened the car door. "Inside. I'm freezing."

Hiead scowled at the about-face. "What the hell--"

"I'll think of something tomorrow," Clay interjected quickly. "Please, Hiead. I'm _cold._"

Hiead rolled his eyes and turned off the car, not bothering to pull into the driveway. "How many times do I have to tell you," he began as he slammed the car door shut, pressed a button on a small device on the key-chain he held and locking the doors with a small _blip_, "_Not_ to get out of the car while it's still running?"

Clay flushed slightly, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger, a habit that never ceased to amuse Hiead. "I apologize."

Hiead's home was relatively small, which was understandable considering the only residents living there were Hiead and his parents. It was a nice little house, though; one story high, the exterior painted a comfortable pale cream with dark blue trim. In the spring a small garden would circle around the house, where both store-bought and natural flowers would bloom.

Hiead personally detested it.

"I'm home," he called when he entered, kicking his shoes off and not caring where they landed. He did likewise with his backpack by tossing it into the closet. Clay, however, removed his shoes and settled them neatly by the front door, setting his own backpack and a couple extra books right next to those.

Clay followed his boyfriend into the kitchen where a woman on her mid-forties stood, washing dishes in the sink. She was stunningly average compared to Hiead; her hair was mousy brown and swept into a high ponytail, strands of gray spun in the plain weave of brown. Her eyes were gray and thoughtful, though constantly sad for some unexplained reason.

She paused to glance over and smile faintly at her adopted son and Clay. "Hello, Hiead, Clay. How was school?" She didn't have any problems with Hiead seeing another boy (although she had clearly been disappointed at the prospect of having no grandchildren someday) and even seemed to take a liking to Clay.

"Hello, Mrs. Gner." Hiead shot his boyfriend a dark look and Clay quickly corrected himself. "I... I mean, Kestrel." First-name terms had started a few weeks ago, but Clay still found it hard to call someone his own parents' age by their first name.

"It was boring, as usual," Hiead replied flatly. Kestrel gave a small sigh and returned to washing dishes. Clay always had the strong feeling that when he wasn't around, things were _much_ more tense. Hiead's parents still had to take the occasional "vacation" away from him, which Hiead always used as an excuse to have Clay over the entire time they were gone and discover the many, many different ways they could have sex-- _Without_ having to worry about other people in the house hearing them (Clay constantly worried about the neighbors but Hiead always said they didn't know them, therefore, they weren't of their concern).

"C'mon," Hiead said, exiting out the other side of the kitchen.

"Nice to see you again Mis-- Kestrel," Clay corrected himself again, giving her a weak smile that she mirrored before he disappeared around the corner and down the hall. The very last room was Hiead's and it was the second-smallest bedroom in the house. His parents occupied the largest and the smallest had been turned into a study (in which Clay had actually gotten Hiead to do some _real_ homework in a couple times).

While the study and master bedroom were comfortable places, Hiead's room was almost completely the opposite. It wasn't that his room was messy; just the opposite, in fact. His clothes were hung neatly in the closet, next to nothing was ever strewn on the floor and his bed was almost always made. Hiead had said that the only reason his room was so clean was because he was too lazy to mess it up. Very strange, in Clay's opinion.

"Close the door," Hiead commanded and Clay automatically moved to do so. The silver-haired boy made himself comfortable on the bed, grabbing one of three remotes on the nightstand and leaning against the wall as he turned on the twenty-inch TV. Things may have been tense between Hiead and his parents, but they spoiled him anyway. He had his own television, DVD player, VHS recorder, a mini stereo system, a Playstation 2, a pile of games, a shelf full of CDs and unlimited access to the study computer (his father's computer resided in the master bedroom). It certainly paid to be an only child. Clay was normally too busy studying (or, as of late, being with his boyfriend) to care much for personal items so his room wasn't nearly as cluttered.

Hiead rolled his eyes. "Oh, _sit down,_ for God's sake," he snapped. "You're in my room, not a fucking church."

Clay sighed and took a seat next to Hiead. Unlike Hiead, he rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, not paying attention to the MTV 2 music video his boyfriend was watching. Then, out of nowhere, the idea came to him.

"Hiead?"

"What?"

Clay opened his eyes, not looking at the red-eyed boy beside him but at the arrangement of CDs across the room. "You might not want to drive to school tomorrow."

Hiead snorted softly. "Why not? So I can freeze while I _walk_ to school in this weather?"

Clay frowned and looked at him, sitting up straight. "No. I just have plans for after school tomorrow and I'll be walking. Unless you don't want to come with..."

His boyfriend tore his eyes away from the TV, easily ignoring the exotic dances half-nude young women were performing. His piercing eyes narrowed thoughtfully before he smirked.

"All right, then. I'll go with you." Clay was honestly taken aback; normally Hiead would argue, saying he didn't want to go on some stupid outing with him. "On one condition."

Clay already knew exactly what that condition was. "What's that?" he asked, humoring him like he always did.

A cordless phone was pressed into his hand. "Call your parents and tell them you'll be spending the night here."

With a small groan of feeble protest, Clay began to punch in the numbers he knew so well. It was disturbing, he thought while waiting for someone at his house to answer, when you started to call home as much as you did your boyfriend.

* * *

The banging and slamming of all the metal lockers was giving him a _headache._ Grimacing, Clay massaged one temple as he put away his Chemistry book. Next period was lunch, but as of late that had become one of his least favorite periods. Especially because of...

"Ready?" a smooth voice murmured in his ear, making him start so badly he slammed his locker door into his own head. Cursing loudly, Clay clutched at the pained spot with one hand, glaring at Hiead, who seemed to find the entire thing amusing. He was snickering.

"Goddamnit, Hiead," he swore before shutting the locker door properly and _not_ catching any body parts inside this time. "I have a _headache;_ I've had one since this morning and you know it!"

"Hm. That's odd. I feel great," was the reply he got.

"Oh, yeah," he shot back acidly as he began to make his way down to the lunch room. "You _always_ feel great after--"

"Hello, Clay-kun!" a familiar whimsical voice called. Hiead and Clay paused to see one of their classmates waving to them with a bright smile, as always.

"Sawamura," Hiead muttered. "Quick, hide, before he starts rambling on about Kushida..."

Clay hesitated. He liked Roose okay; he was a nice boy. But Hiead was right, he _did_ tend to talk about Yamagi an awful lot. Though it was understandable, considering the other boy was miles and miles away now and Roose seemed to miss him terribly.

"Roose!" A petite girl with curled blue hair and innocent blue eyes grabbed his elbow and began to drag him down the hall. "Come _on,_ you'll make us late!"

"But... I... Wrecka..."

Hiead snorted at the scene. "You'd think by now the pathetic fool would have gotten a backbone like you."

Clay was barely listening though; he looked unnaturally pale. "Um... Maybe I'll just go to the library today..."

Hiead scowled. "What for?"

"_Wrecka Toesing_ is going to be there. Didn't you see her dragging Roose away?"

That certainly meant something. Wrecka was the biggest gossip in the entire school, though people wouldn't normally guess this upon first glance. She strived to uphold her sweet, innocent image and normally did a very good job of it. Only a few people could see past her exterior and see the cunning manipulative woman she could be. She could take a seemingly innocent incident and twist it to her will, making it sound horrible and unfit for children's ears.

While he disliked her, Hiead also found what she practiced could turn into a highly eventful moment.

"All the more the reason to show up," he said, smirking as he grasped his reluctant boyfriend by the wrist and jerked him down the hall in a similar fashion Wrecka had Roose. "Let's give her something to _really_ talk about."

Clay paled. "Oh, God..."

* * *

He shuddered from the cold and zipped up his jacket. It was _cold._ He hated winter. What he was about to do _in_ this cold weather was pretty stupid, especially for him, but the idea had just struck him yesterday and he wanted to do it, winter or not.

Luckily Hiead hadn't done anything _too_ horrible during lunch, he thought. Knowing Hiead, he could have done much, much worse than simply kiss him for the entire world to see. Clay distinctly remembered hearing the sound of several trays clattering to the floor, utensils clanging, a few collective gasps and even some giggles.

That was all, though. No one dared to speak up, and when Hiead broke the kiss to glare around the room, everyone had instantly acted as though they hadn't seen a thing. No one wanted to cross Hiead Gner.

Clay sighed gently, a small puff of air freezing and evaporating in the air. Students walked right by him; most of them he knew by name but hardly any of _them_ knew him at all. During the past couple of weeks he'd been referred to as "Hiead's boyfriend", which really irritated him. He liked to be acknowledged and _hated_ being ignored.

He was so busy thinking about the numerous labels people had given him as of late he didn't notice Hiead until it was far too late; the taller boy groped at him in front of many students. Clay's startled, loud yelp didn't help matters any. He felt his face warm as he stumbled back into the building wall.

"You're awfully jumpy," Hiead noted.

"Don't do that!" Clay yelled before he realized people were staring. He coughed in embarrassment, sure his face was on fire then.

Hiead rolled his eyes, staring at him out from under silver bangs. "Oh, please. It's not like anyone has a _problem_ with it," he said loudly, turning to fix one of his best death glares on anyone watching. Almost instantly activity spread as students hurried to get away from him. He smirked before turning back to his boyfriend and resting his hand on the wall just beside his head. "People know now. No one's going to harass either of us."

Clay opened his mouth to say that, no, no one was going to harass _Hiead_ when the said boy caught his chin with the other hand, pressing him to the wall, kissing and grinding his body into him. If he was aiming for an audience, he certainly got one as a sudden horrified/fascinated hush fell over the courtyard.

Hiead finally pulled back and whirled almost instantly to glare at the other students, a growl rising from his chest to his throat and escaping his lips. One girl screamed and nearly ran in terror while everyone else simply backed away. Clay groaned and banged his head on the wall behind him. _Why_ did Hiead always have to make such a scene?!

"Where are we headed?" the crimson-eyed boy questioned almost carelessly as they were walking only minutes later.

"Towards the library," Clay replied.

Hiead glared at him. "Your big surprise is at the library?"

"No, my big surprise is _towards_ the library," his boyfriend quickly corrected, adjusting his glasses.

Hiead snorted but said nothing more. It was the price he paid to have such an odd boyfriend, after all. He'd have to put up with his weirdness _sometime._

Once he realized just where they were, though, Hiead stopped dead in his tracks just outside the glass door. "What the fuck is this?" he demanded.

Clay hesitated, one hand resting on the ice-cold handle of the door. "An ice cream shop, Hiead."

He could clearly see that. Tilting his head back he could read the pink-on-white sign clearly saying, _Baskin Robins ~ 31 Flavors_.

"I figured as much," he said flatly. "But why are we _here?_ In the middle of _winter_ no less?" It felt like negative twenty degrees Fahrenheit outside, for God's sake! And weren't ice cream shops supposed to be _cold?_ It made no sense to Hiead at all.

The pale fingers slid off the door as Clay turned to completely face the half-bewildered silver-haired boy, vaguely amused at the reaction he'd pulled out of him. "What, haven't you ever had ice cream?"

"Don't act stupid, Fortran," Hiead snapped.

The other boy sighed, his uncertainty flickering through for the first time that afternoon as he ran a hand through his nondescript brown-blonde hair. His glasses seemed frosted on the edges; it was _damn cold_ out. "I... I don't know, Hiead. I just haven't had an ice cream cone since I was a child."

Great, They were going to go into his sad childhood. Hiead folded his arms over his chest impatiently, something that didn't go unnoticed by his boyfriend who said quickly, "I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted to have one with... You."

Hiead continued to stare blankly at him, his face registering no emotion. It made Clay _very_ uncomfortable so he decided maybe it _was_ a really stupid idea--

Hiead reached out and grasped his jacket sleeve tightly, pulling him close and staring down at him, completely impassive the entire time.

"Next time," he started coldly, making Clay flinch, "Pick a sensible season to come here. Like summer. Deal?"

Staring in disbelief, Clay only nodded numbly. Hiead 'hmph'ed and released him, stalking into the building without so much as another word.

A small smile on his face, Clay adjusted his glasses. "Very interesting..."


End file.
